Filch and semantics

[chiara.fantoni at cec.eu.int]

No: HPFGUIDX 83329

Still waiting to see if my previous message will go through my
ever-attentive elf, here's is another small idea, bear with me, will you?

bookraptor11 wrote:

>I'm wondering if it was Dumbledore who abolished the chaining of 
>students when he became Headmaster, or even successfully campaigned 
>for their elimination while he was just a teacher. Filch said in COS 
>that he missed the screaming; we don't know how long he's been 
>caretaker. Perhaps he was never allowed to use this punishment and is 
>just nostalgic for his own student days, sick little puppy.

The verb "miss" can mean two things:

- I was there at the time the "screaming" happened, I liked it and I feel it
should still be there nowadays but it isn't.

- I am too young to have witnessed the "screaming" so I didn't happen to
witness it.

It would be clearer if I had the actial quote and see whether Filch says "I
miss" or "I missed", in the first instance I would tend to believe the "I
wish it was still the case", in the second I'd rather think about "I wish I
had been there".

The two interpretations might lead to different situations concerning Filch
and he being a caretaker and/or a student (I doubt since canon says he's a
squib).

Any opinions welcome!

Not sure my English teacher would be proud about me elaborating on this kind
of literature, I know she is for other reasons, and no English is not my
mother-tongue.

Chiara